


Welcome To Trench, Banditos

by reo_doesnt_sleep



Category: Trench - Twenty One Pilots (Album), Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Top - Freeform, josh dun - Freeform, trench, twenty one pilots - Freeform, tyler joseph - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-30
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-19 15:23:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17603867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reo_doesnt_sleep/pseuds/reo_doesnt_sleep
Summary: Dema, a small town often described as a sort of cult, is run by men in red cloaks called the Bishops. Things are fine growing up for 16 year old Athena "Theo" Easta, until she realizes how bad  conditions are in the city of silence. After her realization that this nightmare could never be her home, she and other rebels called Banditos decide to leave the city of Dema and enter a valley they call Trench, hoping to one day find a place they can call home.Follow Athena Easta and her friends through the difficult journey of finding a place to call home and their inner peace. Enjoy the journey. Welcome to Trench.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is dedicated to my parents, the people who were my personal Dema who taught me that if you want to be happy, you have to make your life your own way.

Thinking back to that night, I had no idea what to expect. The security break was going to occur soon, tomorrow night when the moon was still on the East side of the sky,  but not for long. I sat there, staring out the window of my quaint, discomforting room. Morrigan laid there, fast asleep in my bed. Somehow, she wasn't scared. When I invited her to stay the night at my place to pack for tomorrow, she had no inhibition.

She didn't seem to be bothered by the fact that she was leaving her parents behind. Maybe it's because I haven't had my parents in so long, I can't quite remember what it felt  like to interact with them, but in my head, she was so atypically nonchalant. Heck, who am I to question? I'd question why the cracks in the ceiling formed the way they did if I had even the slightest bit reason to. My thoughts never let me rest.

Regardless of her slumber, I stared out the window. The city was quiet for the night. The bishops were probably out, policing our cult-like society as they did every night. All morse transmissions had stopped not long before. I needed their comfort. I needed someone to reassure me that this was going to be okay. That this wasn't going to fail. What I didn't know yet, was that I was going to help keep the Bandito's hope. When we were marching through the mountains, hiding from the cloaked bishops, they were turning to me. Why,

I don't know. The kids, especially. I can't blame them. They had just "randomly" lost the only home they had ever known. They didn't know, and I couldn't tell them.

My walkie talkie beeped, and a familiar calming voice came through.

 

"Theo?" the voice whispered shakily.  

 

I rubbed my face with my hand,  sighed, and took a deep breath.

 

"I'm here. Over," 

 

"Oh thank God. I was scared you were asleep, over,"

 

"No, I'm up, but Morrigan is passed out, over,"

 

"Strange," he said, "Algea and I can't sleep, over," Eros sighed.

 

"Eros, it's safe to admit you're scared. I am, too, over," I responded.

 

Admitting it out loud my heart race and my chest tighten. Fear didn't cover it. We were terrified.

 

"Athena, do you think we'll actually clear the security break and make it out, over?" Algea spoke up.

 

I didn't want to answer that.

 

"Yea, we're going to make it out, over,"

 

Morrigan lay, resting peacefully. She wasn't concerned about any of this. She wasn't awake, wondering if we'd make it out of Dema or not. It would take me losing Astri to understand why.

 


	2. Chapter 1, Rosemary

    "Keep this lit," Tyler whispered to me, his hand resting reassuringly on my shoulder.  
  
 I looked up at him and nodded. I was shivering from the rain that had just passed over. My clothes were soaked, and my small frame doesn't keep heat well. I took the lit torch from his other hand and sighed. The large flamed danced wildy in the wind.   
       
"Don't be afraid, kiddo," he spoke quietly but with confidence.  
  
I took in a deep breath, lifted my head, and stared him the eyes, standing up tall.  
        
    “I’m not, Tyler. I’m ready,” I gave him a weak smile.   
  
He pat my back, then kept walking past me. We left Dema two days ago, and have been in Trench since last night. This was our only chance, and so far it's been raining hard and colder than normal. As much as I normally wouldn't be bothered by rain, the entire valley flooded past the creek, and we have no means of keeping dry. We've had a bit of a rough start.   
    Regardless of the inconsiderate weather, I’m overwhelmed with fear. Things had become really intense. The first rebellion was worthless, but this one would work. It has to. We need a better future. We left the only home we’ve ever known to hopefully find better. We're leaving this place of red and black. It has cultivated a certain atmosphere of discontent and displacement that became too much to handle. So now, my friends, neighbors, and I are leaving for a better place. It was hard to leave, but here we are in Trench.   
    I marched on, my torch held firm with my left hand and Astri’s hand in mine. I looked off the cliffside to our right to the fuzzy scenery that unfolded for hundreds of miles. The mountains bound on and on, never seeming to have an end. The air held a fresh mist from fog and last night’s rain, and the Sun was making an entrance. We walked along the cliffside, and followed a trail down the mountain into the valley.   
  
    “Theo?” Astri whispered, tugging on my jacket hem.   
  
I smiled down at him. I could sense the fear in his touch and his voice.   
  
    “What’s up, bud?”   
  
I was his support. I had to show him it’d be okay.   
  
    “Where are we going?”   
  
I  rubbed his hand with my thumb, trying to give him some form of comfort.   
  
    “Somewhere awesome,” I beamed.   
  
  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
    “Rosemary,” I requested.   
  
Morrigan shuffled around for a bit, before placing a sack of Rosemary in my waiting hand. I reached in and retrieved the amount I needed, laying it in the mortar in front of me. I pressed the pestle in, crushing all the ingredients together. I worked it until it became a fine powder. I found a small mason jar on the table, and emptied the contents carefully into the jar, then getting up to place it in my bag.  
  
    “Is that all your work for today?” Morrigan asked.   
  
I could see her form getting antsy. I tucked it into my bag, and turned back to her.  
  
I smiled, and nodded, sitting down on the tent floor.   
  
    “Yea, that’s all. Did you want to do something today?”   
  
She got on her knees in front of me, sitting on her feet.   
  
    “Well, it’s so sunny out today, and we aren’t moving again for two days. I thought we could go out, take a walk, do something. Maybe we could relax and play in the creek,”  
  
    “Yea, it would be nice, huh? We really don’t get much down time,”  
  
    “Let’s go, Theo,” Morrigan said hastily, starting to stand up, taking my hand.   
  
    “Let’s just go have fun...for one day,” She held my hand in hers, not really taking for an answer.  
  
I smiled, took her a hold of her hand, and stood up.   
  
    “Let’s go,”   
  
We exited the tent, and headed down the mountain toward the valley below where the creek runs. She took my hand, and lead me carefully down the slippery rocks. We inched our way down, stepping rock by rock, stone by stone. Having a few near slips, but making it down safely, we approached the creek with enthusiasm. Disregarding the abrasive cold air, she threw a splash of water at me, giggling. I jumped back, shocked by the sudden cold, and laughed.  
  
    “Oh no you didn’t!” I chuckled, running into the creek, splashing water.   
  
She ran after me, filled with excitement. I quickly turned, and cupped my hands together, picking up some water, throwing it at her before turning to run again. She gasped at the shock of cold water, and giggled.   
  
  
“Why’s it so bloody cold?” shivered with a huge grin plastered on her face.  
  
“Because Dema’s cold!” I retorted, playfully.  
  
 We ran around, tagging each other, soaking each other in the freezing cold water, and tripping over rocks. Our throats burned due to the cold and the wind slashing our wet faces. We finally settled down on the river bank after we got too tired to go any longer. The sun had moved from the East to the West side of the sky, indicating we had been here for hours. Time flies when you’re having fun.  
    I rest on a spot where sentiment had built up, causing a soft spot on the ground. Morrigan laid with her head on my chest, her even breaths indicating she was content. Her arm was stretched over my stomach, trying to cuddle on the hard ground. She softly opened her eyes, letting fuzzy blue orbs beam up at me.  
      
“Hey Athena?” She whispered.  
  
    “Hmmm?”   
  
    “Do you miss Dema?”  
  
I closed my eyes and rubbed her back slowly. I saw it coming, and I didn’t like it. I’m not sure what kind of answer she wanted.   
  
    “I miss things being simpler. I don’t miss Dema or the bishops, though,” I stated. I didn’t want to talk about Dema. I never do. It’s not an easy thing to discuss.  
      
    “Do you miss your parents?” She said, not seeming to have regard for the sensitive question she just shot at me.   
  
    “Morrigan I don’t want to talk about this right now,”  
  
She sat up, and turned to look at me.  
  
    “You never do, Athena. Why? We can’t just forget the past 16 years like they didn't happen. Our lives are back there,”  
  
    “Yes, Morri, I get it, but I said leave it alone,”  
  
    “You can’t just push it off like it doesn’t exist. It’s real. We’re living through a rebellion! Open your eyes, Athena!” She barked, standing up.   
  
    “I’m not ready to think about it, okay? Just give me time!” I sat up, trying to reason with her.  
  
    “I need someone to vent to, ya know!”  
  
    “Morrigan, I’m your friend, not your therapist,” I spat, agitation quickly growing on me, “Don’t push your problems on me,”   
  
She huffed angrily, and ran off, leaving me by the river on the bank. I laid back on the rocks and dirt and sighed. I’m not ready to face this. It has been hard enough getting to this point. I’m not ready to admit that it’s actually happening. Damn, who would?   
  


	3. Chapter 2, Leave The City

The orange glow of the fire covered me in comforting warmth. Astri sat to my left, curled up to me under my left arm. His curly dark hair spilled over his face as he dozed off to sleep. Morrigan had her head on my shoulder to my right, dazed by the warmth. Eros and Algea sat at our feet trading stones they'd found along the way. We sat on some old logs encircling a bonfire some of the older kids had made. Everyone was gathered around, sitting together, singing songs to boost morale. No one was concerned about the Bishops finding us via smoke. On nights like these, we would stand up and fight. 

   We’ve been in Trench for almost two weeks, according to the Sun. We aren’t sure when Trench ends, because no one has ever gotten this far, but we can’t give up. Everyone here believed that even if we lost our own motivation to get out, we couldn't lose the motivation that our parents had when they were here. They fought like we did. We got farther by the grace of God. We held on tight to that.

   All around me, a giant circle consisting of close to 50 people sang the same line repeatedly, trying to instill it within us. Instill it in our souls, our bones.

_  In time, I will leave the city. For now, I  will stay alive. _

 

   I closed my eyes and sang along. The inner peace that I felt sitting there was something I have longed for for years. For a long time, I'd been doing it all on my own. I'd fought for myself, because that's what you do when you're the person putting food on the table and a roof over your head. I had lost purpose. I  wasn't enough motivation to keep going. The people singing with me were, though. The two boys at my feet were. The little kid sleeping on me and the girl whom was my best friend daydreaming next to me were enough. The people who started the fire were enough. They gave me an inner peace that I had been so starved for. I felt, for once, like I was just meant to sit in this spot with these kids leaning on me. I was supposed to sit here and be wrapped in the comfort of the heat and the passion of the flame. I was supposed to sing with these Banditos. If I hadn't ended up here, I would've been wrong. 

   I opened my eyes slowly, releasing warm tears to run down my face, staining my brown cheeks with dusty pink. I surveyed the scene in front of me. People who used to be my neighbors and are now my family were singing, hand in hand. I smiled, and looked down at the boys. I turned to pick up Astri, and placed him gently in Eros' lap. I stood up, and proudly approached the other Banditos. A young girl who used to live near me smiled and offered me her hand. The other girl who  was holding her hand took my other. As I looked around at all the people who were making this journey away from Dema with me. Such courageous people. 

   “Theo?” Astri said, tugging on the back of my jacket.

 

I turned back to look at him and took his right hand, allowing the girl on my left to  take his left hand.

 

   “Yes, Astri?”

 

He stared at the ground. I could feel him shaking.

 

   “Do you think Eris and Enyo miss us?”

 

I wasn’t expecting that. I should have been, but I wasn’t.

 

   “I think they want us to be happy, and that’s all that matters,”

 

I hate to lie to him, but I can’t tell a five year old who is thoroughly brainwashed that the people he believes loves him are more likely to kill him than show him care.

 

   “Can we not be happy in Dema?” he questioned.

 

I don’t blame him. One day he’s going to school, having playdates, going to the park, and now he’s hiding in the mountains trying to get away from our former government with us Banditos. He shouldn’t have to go through this. None of the kids here should.

 

   “Dema is a lot more...complicated than it seems, Astri. We’re going somewhere awesome so that you won’t have to face unnecessary challenges that we are,”

 

   “I miss my momma and papa…” He whispered.

 

   “Me too, Astri. I do, too..”

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**_The Next Morning..._ **

I mushed away, beating the spices into the mixture. I mixed until the mixture was a thick liquid, then I stirred in some more water. I poured it into a sealable jar, and handed it off to the young boy.

   “Here you go, Jared.  I hope your sore throat feels better,”

 

   “Thanks, Athena. Means a lot,” he rasped, turning to leave the tent.

 

      I got back to what I had been doing before he had come in. I carefully wrapped jars in cloth, and packed them in between sacks of spices in my backpack. We were leaving tonight, so I had to be ready. I had spices I had been growing and drying for years. Each spice had some sort of use.  Not one was useless. I had been studying these plants since I was young. When other kids were learning to ride bikes, I was studying plants inside with my papa.

   “Athena, come quick!” a voice called with desperation.

 

My heart raced, and I ran for the door of the tent. I  listened around, trying to figure out who was calling my name. Then, I found them. Morrigan and Eros were rushing toward me, fear evident in their demeanor.  

 

     “What's going on?”

 

     “The bishops, they're coming. They tried to hurt some children down by the creek, but they ran back to camp,” Eros spoke with fear, but the confidence of a warrior.

 

     “Do we need to move out?”

 

     “Immediately,”

 

My job just became a lot harder.

 

     “Morrigan will you help me pack-”

 

    “Absolutely. Let’s do it,”

We got to work, quickly packing all my supplies. My spices went into sacks, mixes went into jars, plants went into small metal boxes. My mortar and pestle were wrapped in a t shirt and put in the top of my bag. On top of my plain white shirt and army green cargo pants, I put on my red combat boots and camo jacket. I used a strip of suede to tie back my wild curly hair into a poofy ponytail. When all of our stuff was packed, we took down the tent, neatly but quickly folding the canvas fabric and shoving it in a burlap sack.

We looked around, our fellow Banditos hastily packing their things. I threw my book bag onto my back, and went to help others pack their things. We didn't have time to just sit. As I helped, I thought about how we are on our way to moving further into Trench. Who knows how long until we reach the end of Trench? What if Trench goes on forever, and this is it? I wonder how many of these Banditos have considered going back. I haven’t, even for a second. I have to avenge my parents. They need that justice.


End file.
